Businessman starts 'Community Christmas Tree'

A string of colorful LED Christmas lights sails across the winter-blue sky Tuesday afternoon as Ryan Davis, left, and Joe Blake, of Davis Tree Service, decorate what Ryan has dubbed the "Community Christmas Tree" in Kelley Park, between the city swimming pool and the McCook Community College Pete and Dolores Graff Events Center on East M in McCook, Nebraska. (Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Gazette)

McCOOK, Neb. -- The owner of a McCook tree service has decorated what he has dubbed "The Community Christmas Tree" in a McCook, Nebraska, city park.

Ryan Davis, owner of Davis Tree Service, spread his arms at the base of the 50-foot evergreen tree in Kelley Park Tuesday afternoon and said, "This is the blank canvas. Now, it's ready for some bling."

Throughout the cold, windless afternoon Tuesday, Ryan, his employee Joe Blake and Mark Cappel of MAC Boom wound 2,100 LED lights studded with 30-some candy canes around the evergreen tree. Ryan said he was given 20 more candy canes as they finished the project in the chilly late afternoon.

Ryan will donate his time and lift again -- and again each Christmas season -- to add decorations and eventually an over-sized tree-topper, and to remove everything at the end of the Christmas season.

Ryan's wife, Janelle, said they have three-foot-tall angels on top of their own trees, at 1305 West 13th.

Donations to the Community Christmas Tree project will help defray the cost of the 1,000 feet of lights and to purchase other decorations and a tree-topper.

Donations can be sent to Ryan at P.O. Box 337, McCook, or to the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce, 203 W. Second, McCook, NE 69001.